My Story: My Career Development
Gemma first started with Chancellors as a temporary administrator. Within a short time of working in our Property Management department she had proven her ability and determination to succeed. Nine years later, Gemma has developed a comprehensive understanding of the property industry and her hard work and determination has allowed her to benefit from the range of career development opportunities available to her.
“I had no idea when I joined Chancellors as a temporary administrator that I would be with the company nearly nine years later. I have been lucky enough to hold several roles and work my way up to the position I hold now. Chancellors have very much allowed me to develop my own role and specialise in the areas I enjoy and am experienced in.
Property Management was not a career I was particularly trying to get into when I applied, nor one I knew much about – it was simply meant to be my first ‘proper’ job after university while I worked out what I wanted to do. I initially started as a temp carrying out general administration tasks – sorting post, banking, answering the phones, etc. I was offered a permanent position within a short time. I then moved into the role of Repairs Co-ordinator, which involved arranging repairs and maintenance, a service provided to tenants and landlords. This was a very fast-paced role with lots of exposure to customers and provided me with many of the skills and knowledge I still use today.
After a few years of this I felt I was ready for a different challenge and an opportunity arose for me to become manager of one of the property teams here. This involved being responsible for the staff in my team and also for all of the branches, properties and clients within the area we were managing. It was a real change and a steep learning curve but the experience I gained from this was invaluable. Throughout this time I was also becoming more involved in other aspects of the business, managing our approved contractors and taking on other projects.
This year I was offered a new position as an Expert Property Manager, which is very much a senior support role within the company. I provide advice to colleagues and assist with difficult situations they may have and ensure that we are following our processes consistently across our wide network. I still manage the approved contractors workloads and compliance checks and have been able to develop this further and get involved in other project work.
Any position within Chancellors will involve hard work but there are also good rewards to be earnt. I was presented with the Top Performer award at our spring business conference and treated to a champagne ride on the London Eye followed by a private dining experience with the other award winners. There are other prizes and trips available throughout the year for top performers and if you are willing to work hard and take on responsibility there are lots of opportunities within the company for you to succeed.”